Windmill gearing



Dec. 2, 1 24; 1,518,016

' J. F. .STRUBLE WINDMILL GEARING Filed SeptflS, i922 2 sheets-sheet -1 2b 5 Maui M AIME/V578 7 Dec. 1924; 1,518,016

J. F. STRUBLE WINDM'ILL GEARING I Filed Sept. 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illi r llmrall mumlluiuulig &1

Hlllllllllllhl INVENTOR' I v Jamesfiisilcubie, WITNESSES Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UETED JAMES FRANKLIN S'IRUBLE, OF I-IUTCI-IINSON, KANSAS.

WINDMILL GEABING.

Application filed September 15, 1922. Serial No. 588,366.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. STRUBLE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l/Vindmill Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to windmill gearings and is an improvement on my co-pending application Serial Number 510,748, filed Oct. 27, 1921, and on my patent of December 26, 1922, No. 1,440,085.

Briefly stated an important object of this invention is to provide a power transmitting mechanism having simple means whereby to convert a rotary into a reciprocatory I motion.

Specifically the invention aims to provide a power transmitting mechanism comprising a gear and rack construction wherein the rack is provided at its ends with cylindrical or ball teeth adapted to be received within a semi-circular recess in the gear whereby the rack may readily movelaterally when it reaches the end of its stroke in one direction.

Further the invention aims to provide a power transmitting mechanism of the char acter specified in which the teeth of the rack gradually decrease in width toward the end of the rack whereby to prevent the possibility of binding between the gear and rack.

A further object is to provide a power transmitting mechanism for windmills and the like which may be conveniently applied without substantially altering the construction of the windmill or without inconvenience on the part of the attendant or mechanic. I

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, I

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved power transmitting mechanism, parts being broken away,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectionalv view taken on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detached view of a gear em bodied in the invention, I

Figure 4 is a fragmentaryelevation illustrating a slightly modified form of invention,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the improved power transmitting mechanism. j

Figure .6 is a perspective of the gear illustrated in Figures4 and 5.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferredembodiment of the invention the numeral 5 generally designates a housing which is preferably cast in one piece and is of elongated formation. The housing has its sides formed with a continuous inwardly extending projcction constituting a reinforcing member 6 and a continuous channel 7 through which a power transmitting gear 8 may travel. WVith reference to F igure-2 it will be seen that the outer portion of the gear 8 travels in a channel 7 and that rollers 9 on opposite sides of the gear rotatably contact with the flanges 10 and 11 on opposite sides of the channel. I I

A rack 12 is secured within the housing by means of bolts 13which pass through the back 14 of the housing. The rear side of the rack is provided with bosses 15 which cooperate with the flanges 16 formed at the edge of the rack in spacing the body of the rack from contact with the back 14.. The base 17 of the rack is extended beyond the teeth of the rack and forms a gear contact and guiding surface, all of which is illustrated in Figure 2. i Y I Figure 2 also illustrates that a cover plate 20 is secured to the rack by means of bolts 13 and extends beyond the sides of the rack to cooperate with the extended portion of the base in providing a second channel arranged in opposed relation to the channel 7, whereby to slidably receive a portion of the gear 8 so that the gear will be properly guided. The edge portions of the cover I plate 20 are extended outwardly to provide a flange 21 which is arranged inwardly of the flange 11 and thereby cooperates with the same in guiding the gear. That is to say the flanges form guides through which the rollers 9 on opposite sides of thegear pass.

The gear 8 rotates about a fixed axis and is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft 26 of the usual wind wheel and is enlimit of its movement in one direction it and the housing are moved laterally and the rack engaged with the opposite side of the gear.

To facilitate the lateral movement of the rack and to prevent binding 1 have formed the ends of the rack with cylindrical teeth 30 which are alternately received in a semicircular recess 31 in the gear and before one of the cylindrical teeth 30 leaves the recess the gear will be at right angles to the rack as illustrated in Fig. 1. It will be seen that when the rack reaches the limit of its movement in one direction the semicircular recess 31 will receive the ball or cylindrical teeth 30 and thereby permit the ready lateral movement of the rack so that it will be positioned on the other side of the gear.

Also to further facilitate the movement of the rack I have gradually decreased the width of the same toward its ends and have decreased the size of those teeth adjacent the semi-circular recess 31. This permits the parts to operate without binding.

A pump or pitman rod 26 is provided at its upper portion with spaced arms 27 to which a pulley 28 is connected, the said pulley being slidable in a slot 30 in a de pending bracket or portion 31 of the housing. The pump rod 26 is at all times arranged directly beneath the gear 8 so that the strain on the several parts is uniformly distributed. In operation the housing is suspended by a coiled spring 35 connected at its upper end to. a bracket 36. The coiled spring 35 serves 'as a steadying means for the housing and also holds the housing in position in the event of breaking of the gear 8 on the drive shaft. In this manner the housing is prevented from falling onto some other part of the windmill tower and possibly causing damage.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the housing is generally designated by the numeral and is provided with a continuous side wall formed with outwardly directed portions 61 delining a'channel for the reception of a power transmitting gear 62.

The rack with which the gear 62 is associated is held in place by means of tastening bolts 65 and the rack is provided with a back plate 66 which spaces the rack from the back of the housing and therefore maintains the gear in engagement with the rack at all times.

It will be noted that the base plate 66 of the rack 63 extends beyond the sides and ends of the rack whereby to form a guide for engagement with one side of the gear 62.

Figure 5 also illustrates that the cover plate (38 is arranged at the outer side of the rack and extends beyond the opposite sides and ends oi the rack whereby to cooperate with the base plate 66 in the formation of a continuous channel for the reception of the gear -62. It is thus seen that the continuous channel formed by the base plate 66 and the cover plate 68 cooperates with the channel formed by the side walls of the housing in guiding the gear 62 and maintaining the gear in engagement with the rack.

Specifically this improvement consists in forming the ends of the rack 63 with more or less oval-shaped teeth 70 adapted "for being received within oval-shaped recesses 71 in the gear 62. By providing the specific connection between the gear and the ends of the rack, binding of the parts is positively prevented and the power is transmitted with a minimum of loss. When the rack reaches the limit of its movement in one direction it may readily move laterally due to the t act that the head 70 is freely received within the recess. Furthermore thearrangement is such that wear on the parts is reduced to a minimum.

Attention is directed to the fact that practically all wear will be back of the pitch line on the gear at the greatest strain point.

In carrying out the invention the rack 63 is gradually tapered toward its end so that there will be 'no binding or crowding of the parts as the rack approaches the limit of its movement in one direction.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the improved power transmitting mechanism will not bind and consequently will transmit power and convert the same into a longitudinal movement so as to operate the pump or any desired machinery. I

Havingthus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A power transmitting mechanism comprising a rack having its'ends formed of a single enlarged and rounded tooth, :and a gear having a correspondingly sized and shaped recess adapted to alternately receive said end teeth, the rack being gradually reduced in width toward its opposite ends.

2. A means for converting a rotary into a reciprocatory motion comprising a hous- 'ing, a rack carried thereby, a gear meshing with the rack, the rack being gradually decreased in width toward its ends, and terminating in a single enlarged and rounded tooth at such ends.

3. A means for converting a rotary into a reciprocatory motion comprising a housing, a rack carriedthereby, a gear meshing with the rack, the rack being gradually decreased in width toward its ends, the ends of the rack being provided with a single elongated tooth and the gear being provided with a single elongated recess to receive the teeth.

4:. A means for converting a rotary into a 'reciprocatory motion comprising a housing,

a rack carried thereby, a gear meshing with the rack, the rack being gradually decreased in Width toward its ends, the ends of the rack comprising a single oval tooth and the gear being provided with an elongated rounded recess to receive the oval end teeth.

5. A power transmitting mechanism comprising a housing, a rack carried thereby and having its end portions formed With oval-shaped teeth, a gear meshing with said rack and having an oval-shaped recess to freely receive said oval-shaped teeth, said 10 rack being tapered toward its ends, there beingmeans whereby to guide the gear.

J AMES FRANKLIN STRUBLE. 

